STARKVILLE, Miss. – Looking to rebound after a slow start in conference play, the Mississippi State volleyball team (9-9, 0-4) is set to host the South Carolina Gamecocks (10-8, 2-4) in the Newell-Grissom Building Friday night at 7 p.m.

“The team had a great week of practice and is ready to get back on the court,” MSU coach Jenny Hazelwood said. “We struggled a bit last weekend on the road but we were able to recognize our mistakes and correct them in practice this week. South Carolina is a talented club that is young just like we are, so it should be a great match.”

State has won four of its last six home matches and is only a single win away from tying the second-most wins in a single season in Newell-Grissom Building history (7). It is also four away from tying the all-time record of 10 set during the 2006 season.

After opening conference play against second-ranked Florida and a host of other top teams, the Bulldogs’ slate is evening out as their next five opponents average RPI is 77.60, compared to their first four opponents average RPI of 23.76.

Sophomore libero Roxanne McVey ranks second in the SEC and seventh nationally with 5.63 digs per set, which is just off her conference-record pace of 5.64 digs per set from a season ago.

Fellow sophomore Taylor Scott recorded the 456th kill of her career against LSU, which ranks her 19th in the SEC among active players and third among underclassmen.

Friday night’s match will also mark the 450th in Hazelwood’s 14-year career and her 139th with the Maroon and White

Admission to the match is free and the first 100 fans will receive a free MSU camouflage Koozie. One student will be drawn for a chance to win $10,000 in the Perfect Serve Challenge and other prizes will be given away throughout the night.

After the Friday night fight with South Carolina, MSU will face Tennessee (8-11, 0-5) Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in the annual “Dig Pink” match to support breast cancer awareness. The first 100 fans will receive a free pink foam miniature MSU volleyball. Fans are invited to wear pink and join the team in supporting the fight against breast cancer. The Sunday match also means the return of the Sundaes on Sunday promotion when the first 60 fans to the match will receive free MSU ice cream.

Both matches of the weekend will be streamed live via HailStateTV with no audio and no signup required. Fans can simply go to HailState.com/HSTVlive to view the matches. Fans can follow the match via live stats available through HailState.com

Following the weekend home stand, the Bulldogs will venture on a two-week road trip with stops at Kentucky and Georgia on Oct. 25 and 27. The following weekend, MSU will travel to Alabama and Auburn, which will mark State’s first televised match of the season on Nov. 3.